Reclosing circuit breaker



Nov. 1, 1949 G. A. MATTHEWS mscwsme cmcum BREAKER 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledFeb. 12, 1944 Ell I.

Nov. 1, 1949 s. A. MATTHEWS RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKER 8 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Feb. 12, 1944 Wal Nov. 1, 1949 G. A. MATTHEWS RECLOSING CIRCUITBREAKER 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 12, 1944 flu 0c nfoz'.

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RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Feb. 12, 1944 a Sheets-Sheet 4 JIWC'HYou;

8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. l, 1949 c; A MATTHEWS RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKERFiled Feb 12, .1944

Nov. 1, 1949 s. A. MATTHEWS RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKER 8 Sheets-Sheet 6Filed Feb. 12 1944 am w 6 m m H 6 fl, a M Q G A MATTHEWS RECLOSINGCIRCUIT BREAKER Nov. 1, 1949 Flled Feb 12, 1944 NOV. 1, 1949 MATTHEWS2,487,025

RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Feb. 12, 1944 8 heets-Sheet 8 Paten ed Nv- 1. 1949 2,487,025

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKER George A.Matthews. Detroit, Mich., asaignor to The Detroit Edison Company,Detroit, Micln, a corporation of New York Application February 12, 1944,Serial No. 522,120

41 Claims. 1

This invention relates to circuit breakers and particularly tosingle-pole reclosing circuit breakers capable of an initial openingwithout time delay for clearing transient faults without damage orblowing of fuses, and a preselected number of time delay openings toblow fuses or to burn faults clear, and lockout in the event that thefault cannot be cleared otherwise.

The initial opening of this new and novel breaker is accomplished in 4cycles at 150 percent full load current and thence progressively fasterto 2 cycles at 500 percent full load, beyond which the 2 cyclesprevails. The time delayed openings are accomplished in a selective timerange for a long time as seconds to a short time as 10 cycles. All timeis referred to a 60 cycle system unless stated otherwise.

An object of the invention is to provide reclosing circuit breakers ofthe series-current cperated typethat do not overheat and that do not"hum when subjected for long periods to overloads approximating theirpreselected tripping values. An object is to provide a reclosing circuitbreaker containing an opening mechanism with an inverse time-currentcharacteristic, the mechanism being adjustable to alter the time-currentor, alternatively, to substitute a definite time characteristic that isindependent of the particular value of the overload current. An objectis to provide a reclosing circuit breaker in which the time delaymechanisms for controlling the opening and the reclosing of the breakerhave a common timing unit which provides timing independently of thebreaker opening or closing forces. Other objects are to providereclosing circuit breakers including a series-coil and armature foropening the circuit breaker, and a lockout element that is advanced by acontrol relay having contacts that normally shunt the line currentaround the series-coil. A further object is to provide a circuit breakerhaving a series current operating coil that is normally shunted by thecontacts of a control relay, and a pilot relay in series in the line,the pilot relay having normally closed contacts for shuntin the controlrelay. Another object is to provide a reclosing circuit breakerincluding, as last stated, a series-current operating coil and cascadedrelays for opening a shunt connection across the operating coil, andmechanism including an adjustable speed timing device for imparting aninverse time-current characteristic to the circuit breaker, the timingdevice being adjusted by one of the relays.

These and other objects, and the advantages of the invention, will beapparent from the following specification when taken with theaccompanylng drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the essential elements of a reclosingcircuit breaker embodying the invention, illustrating the relativepositions of elements in breaker at closed position;

Fig. 2 illustrates the relative positions of the elements of the breakerduring the power interrupting operation just prior to completeinterruption of the current at the power contacts;

Fig. 2a is a fragmentary side elevation of the ratchet wheel andassociated pawls of the timing mechanism, the ratchet wheel beingillustrated in the position to which it is advanced by the control relayduring the time interval between first opening and first reclosure:

' Fig. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the locked-out position of thecircuit breaker;

Fig. 4 is a, schematic view illustrating the manually operated handlelatched in open position to reset the timing and control device to allowthe closure of the circuit breaker after lockout;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a circuit breaker embodying theinvention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section, on a larger scale, of thelower terminal element and the main breaker contacts;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the circuit breaker as seen from the rightside of Fig. 5, with the easing shown in substantially central sectionand the control mechanism omitted for a clearer illustration of thesupporting structure and the electrical elements;

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary side elevations of the supportingstructure and electrical elements as seen from the left and right,respectively, of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevation of the supporting structure andelectrical elements as seen from the rear of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of controlapparatus shown at the upper portion of Fig. 5;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of theupper portion of the circuit breaker as seen from the side opposite thatillustrated in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary side elevation, with I parts of the circuitbreaker omitted, 0f the timing mechanism, control relay armature andassociated control elements as shown in Fig. 11; Figs. 14 and 15 aresectional and side elevations, respectively, of the shunting switch;

Figs. 16 and 17 are a front elevation and a vertical section,respectively, of the variable speed escapement of the timing mechanism;

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary front elevation of the same illustrating theparts as adjusted for high speed operation; and

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary side elevation, with parts spread for clarity,of the manually operable spring mechanism for adjusting the inverse timecharacteristic of the circuit breaker.

The mechanical elements and their cooperation in the novel circuitbreakers may be best understood by first considering the electricalelements as shown in circuit diagrams superposed upon the structuralelements in Figs. 1 to 4 inelusive.

The electrical circuit may be traced through the circuit breaker, whenin normal closed position as shown in Fig. 1, through lead a from anupper terminal to coil P of a pilot relay, jumper b and the normallyclosed contacts of the pilot relay, lead d and flexible jumper e to theplunger I that carries an arcing contact 2 and main contact 3, to theresilient contacts 4 of the lower circult breaker terminal. A lead 1extends from the pilot relay coil P to one end of the coil C of acontrol relay, and lead g connects the other end of coil C to thejunction of one end 0 of the series-current opening coil 0 and a lead hto the normally closed switch 1'. of the control relay C. The otherterminal 0' of coil 0 is connected to the flexible jumper e, and anormally closed path is shunted across the opening coil 0 by a lead Itfrom the other side of the switch 1 to the flexible jumper e.

The plunger or switch rod I is secured to the armature 5 of the openingcoil 0, and is urged towards breaker-closed position by a coil spring 6that surrounds the plunger I and is seated between the base of thehollow armature 5 and the upper plate I of the core structure of'theopening coil. The lower plate 8 has an integral or attached cylindrica1flange 3 with a slightly conical inner wall for cooperation with a diskor radial flange ID on the armature 5 to form a dashpot for dissipatingthe kinetic energy of the armature and plunger assembly when lifted byenergization of opening coil 0. I

The line current flows through the coil P of the pilot relay and, whenit rises to some preselected overload value, the relay armature isattracted and the relay contacts 0 open, thereby diverting the overloadcurrent through the control relay coil C. The armature of the controlrelay is attracted to open the relay-actuated switch i immediately orafter a time-delay, as will be explained more fully hereinafter. Theoverload current then flows through the seriescurrent openingcoil O, andits armature is attracted to move the main-contact 3 and arcing contact2 away from the stationary contacts 4. The resulting arc is quicklysuppressed by a de-ionizing system, similar to that described in mycopending application Ser. No. 439,576, filed April 18, 1942, whichissued as Patent No. 2,443,- 620 on June 15, 1948 that includes an arborwound horn fibre rod or sleeve II movable with and projecting below thearcing. contact 2. The various elements are shown in Fig. 2 in theirpositions at the instant of opening of the circuit breaker, i. e.before. the contacts 0 of the pilot relay P reclose as a result ofcurrent interruption by the breaker. The contacts 0 of the pilot relayare closed at once by a spring, as described more fully hereinafter,and, to prevent pumping, the

4 control relay switch i must close before the main breaker contactsreclose.

The mechanical construction and the operating characteristics of thecontrol system of the circuit breaker will be described with referenceto Figs. 1 to 4 in which, for greater clarity, some of the parts are notshown in the positions that they occupy in the circuit breaker. Thetiming mechanism, identified generally by character T, is brought intooperation following the initial opening of the circuit breaker, and itcontrols the reclosing action and the subsequent time-delayed openingsin the event of a persistent fault on the line. The ratchet wheel I2 ofthe timing mechanism is urged counterclockwise by a spring, as indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 1, to seat against a stop when the smooth rimsection I2 of the wheel is beneath the opening timing pawl I3. This pawlis rocked clockwise by a link I4 whose lower end is connected to a linkI5 that is pivoted upon the shaft I6 of the control relay armature IT.The armature I1 is moved clockwise, against a restoring spring I8, uponenergization of the control relay but the link I5 does not move as aunit with armature IT. The link I5 normally rests upon and is urged byspring I5 towards a stop pin I9 on armature I1, and the link thereforefollows the movement of armature IT as rapidly as is permitted by thetiming mechanism. A reclosing timing pawl 20 is connected by link 2I tothe outer end of link I5, and is moved counterclockwise to slip over theteeth of ratchet wheel I2 when the link I5 is depressed upon an openingof the circuit breaker. Pawls I3 and 20 are released from the ratchetwheel I2 by stops '23, 24 respectively when the links I4, 2I are intheir upper normal positions, as shown in Fi 1.

A second link 25 is pivoted on shaft I6 and urged towards the stop pinI9 by a spring 26, the outer end of link 25 being connected to an armofa T-shaped lever 21 that has a second arm connected through link 28 tothe movable member 29 of the shunting switch 1'. The lever 21 isnormally latched to prevent opening of the shunting switch by theengagement of the tail of lever 3I with a roller 32 on the third arm ofthe T-shaped lever 21, the lever 3I being held in latching position by atoggle 33-34 that is retained in over-center position against a stop byaspring 34'. The link I4 that drives the opening timing pawl I3 has alug I4 for engagement with the toggle pin to break the toggle 33-34thereby to rock the latching lever 3| clockwise to clear the roller 32and release the lever 21 for actuation by the link 28 to open theshunting switch i.

The mechanism for latching the circuit breaker in open position upon theinterruption of current flow through the opening coil 0 includes ratchetteeth 35 on the plunger I for engagement by a latch pawl 36 on the endof a relatively long latch lever 31 that ispivoted close to the plungerI and rocked into and out of latching position by a'toggle comprisingthe link 38 and the end of w an L-shaped lever 39 that extends upwardlyalong the switch-actuating lever 21 for movement into released position,against the force exerted by spring 40, by a projection M of the lever21.

The lockout mechanism comprises a wheel 42 in the timing mechanism thatrotates clockwise with the ratchet wheel I2 as it is advanced by thepawls 20 and I3, the wheel 42 having a series of ratchet teeth 43 forengagement by the pawl or tip of a lever 44 that is urged toward thelockout wheel 42 by a spring 45. A pin 43 on the pawl or lever 44 isengaged by an insulating material lever 41 that is rocked by the tail ofthe pilot relay armature 48 to release the lockout pawl if the ratchetteeth 43 are moved into line with the lookout pawl 44 by the rotation ofratchet wheel I2 by pawl I3, 1. e. during a clockwise drive of thetiming mechanism to effect an opening of the circuit breaker. If theinterlock lever 41 were not provided, a lookout condition of the timingmechanism might occur during the clockwise movement of ratchet gear [2being urged by "opening-timing pawl I3 during an opening operation ofthe breaker. Such an improper lockout would constitute a locked closedbreaker. The lockout pawl or lever 44 has an insulating materialextension 43 that projects into the path of a pin 53 on the plunger Iwhen the latter is lifted manually, to open the circuit or to reset thecontrol mechanism after a lookout, by the lever II that has a forked endfitted over the pin 50. A pivoted latch 52 engages a pin 53 on themanual operating' and resetting lever 5I to hold the circuit breaker inopen position and with the lookout pawl 44 released, see Fig. 4.

The mechanism for imparting an inverse timecurrent characteristicincludes a speed regulating armature 55 of the pilot relay that isdifferentially rocked, in accordance with the current through the pilotrelay coil P, to compress the speed calibrating spring 58 and displacethe link 51 to rock the speed regulating arm 58 clockwise. Theconstruction of the variable escapement mechanism for controlling thespeed at which the ratchet wheel I2 is advanced by the opening timingpawl ill will be described hereinafter. So far as concerns the followingdescription of the method of operation, it can be assumed that clockwiserotation of the speed regulating arm 58, with increasing current flowthrough the pilot relay coil P, results in a higher operating speed ofthe escapement system and therefore in a shorter delay between theinitial downward movement of pawl I3 and link I4, and the breaking ofthe toggle 33-34 by projection I4 to unlatch the shunting switch i.

With all parts in normal positions, as shown in Fig. 1, corresponding toa closed condition of the circuit breaker, an increase in line currentabove a preselected value results in the movement of the pilot relayarmature 43 to open the contacts 0, thereby connectin the coil C of thecontrol relay in series in the line. Armature I1 of the control relay isdrawin in, and the springs I 5' and 26 are thereby stressed to urge thelinks I5 and 25 clockwise. The initial downward movementof link I4 bylink I5 brings the pawl I3 into engagement with the ratchet wheel I2,but at the smooth periphery section I2 of the latter. The ratchet wheelI2 and associated escapement mechanism therefore impose no load or timedelay upon the pawl I3 and the link I4 moves downwardly at high speed toforce the projection I4 against the toggle pin of toggle 33-34 to breakthe toggle and move latch lever 3| away from the roller 32 of the switchoperating lever 21. Spring 26 was stressedwhen the control relayarmature I1 was drawn in and it moves the link 25 clockwise to rocklever 21 to lift the movable member 29 of the shunting switch 1'. Theoverload line current then flows through the opening coil to attract thearma-- ture 5 and lift the plunger I to open the circuit breakercontacts. The rocking of lever 21 moved the projection 4i away from thelever 33 and spring 43 rotated the lever to force the latching lever 31towards the plunger I. The latch pawl 33 engages a tooth of the ratchetsection 35 of plunger I to retain the plunger in elevated breaker-openposition after the current in the opening coil 0 has reached zero. dueto the opening of the main breaker contacts 2, 3 and 4. The upwardmovement of the plunger I varies somewhat with the magnitude of theoverload current, and a series of ratchet teeth 35 are thereforeprovided on the plunger I to latch the same in approximately its maximumraised position.

The positions of the several controlelements at the instant of thisinitial opening of the main breaker contacts are illustrated in Fig. 2.The armature '43 of the pilot relay drops out at once but the resettingof armature I1 by its spring I3 is delayed by the engagement of stop pinII with the link I5 which, through link 2I and pawl 23 must rotate theratchet wheel I2 of the timing mechanism T at a speed determined by theescapement mechanism. Upon sufllcient clockwise motion of the ratchetwheel I2 to release the pawl 20 by its engagement with the releaseroller 24, which may take place in 1 seconds or any other preselectedinterval, the movements of link I5 and armature I1 are unrestrained, andthe stop pin I3 lifts the link 25 rapidly to rock the lever 21 toreclose the shunting switch i. Upon closure of switch i, the projectionH of lever 21 strikes the latch-releasing lever 33 to rock the latchlever 31 and latch pawl 33 away from the plunger I, and spring 8 forcesthe armature 5 and plunger I downwardly to reclose the circuit breakercontacts 2, 3 and 4. The spring 8 is of sufficient strength to insure aquick reclosure. but the strength of the spring does not affect theopening or closing time-delay action of the timing mechanism T. Theswitch 1 h latched in closed position by the lever 3| by the toggle33-34 that is thrown into overcenter position by the spring 34' as soonas the lever 21 is rocked into switch-closing position, it being notedthat projection I4 of link I4 was lifted clear of the center Din oftoggle 3334 before lever 21 reached its end position.

The ratchet wheel I2 of the timing mechanism is in the positionillustrated in Fig. 2a just prior to the release of the "reclosingtiming pawl 20, i. c. it was rotated clockwise during the interval priorto the first reclosure and the toothed section of the ratchet wheel wasmoved into position below the closing timing pawl I3. If the fault wasof a transient nature and disappeared prior to the first reclosure, thebreaker remains closed and the ratchet wheel I2 is rotatedcounterclockwise by the reset spring designated by the arrow, the springbeing restrained by the escapement so as to gradually reset the timingmechanism to the normal condition illustrated in Fig. 1. Upon reclosure,should the fault be of such a nature that the flow of fault current isdelayed short of the resetting interval, upon the flow of fault currentthe breaker operates to open the circuit in the same manner as if thefault current flowed at the instant the breaker reclosed. If the faultremains on the line and fault current flows on reclosure, the armature48 of the pilot relay is again attracted to open the switch 0, and thesecond armature 55 is attracted to shift the link 51 to adjust theescapement of the timing mechanism T in accordance with the magnitude ofthe overload. The opening of the pilot switch the main breaker contacts.

7 c energizes the control relay C and armature draws in to stress thesprings l and 26, thereby tending to rock the associated links I5, 25,respectively, clockwise to unlatch theswitch-operating lever 21 and torock that lever to open the shunting switch 1. The movement of the linkI5 is delayed, however, by the link l4 that can move downwardly only sorapidly as is permitted by the escapement devicethat restricts therotation of ratchet wheel l2 by the pawl I3. This delay action iseffective only up to the breaking of the toggle 3334 by the projectionl4 of link M, and the shunting switch 2' is opened as soon as the lever3| is rocked by the toggle to release the switch-operating lever 21.Energization of the series-current operating coil 0, by the opening ofthe shunting switch 1, results in an opening of The time-delayedreclosing as described above is then repeated and, if the fault is stillon the line upon reclosure, another time-delayed opening results. Theratchet wheel I2 and lockout wheel 42 are advanced clockwise during theinter-' val that precedes the first reclosure, and during subsequentcycles of opening and reclosure, and

the circuit breaker is eventually locked out in open position after apreselected number of reclosures that eflect a suflicient clockwiseadvance "of-the wheel 42 to bring its ratchet teeth 43 into position forengagement by the pawl 44. This lockout condition of the apparatus isillustrated in Fig. 3. The pilot relay armature 48 drops out at once butthe control relay armature I1 is arrested short of its full releaseposition by the engagement of the stop pin l9 with the link |5 which isblocked against lifting as the locked ratchet wheel l2 and pawl 20prevent the lifting of link 2|. The restoring spring I8 of armatureimposes a clockwise torque on the ratchet wheel |2,'tnreugh the link 2|and pawl20, that prevents the resetting of the ratchet wheel by thespring of the timing mechanism.

- To reclose the breaker from the lockout positiori. the plunger islifted manually to its fully open position by inserting a switch hookstick in the eye of the lever 5| and pulling the lever down to'engagethe hook latch 52 over the pin 53. The pin 50 on plunger I engages thetail 49 of the lockout pawl 44 and rocks the pawl out of engagement.

with the ratchet teeth. The several parts of the control mechanism arein the positions illustrated in Fig. 4 when the lever 5| is latcheddown. The reclosing timing" pawl 20 drives the ratchet wheel l2clockwise under the pressure arising from the resetting spring l8 of thecontrol relay armature I1, and the pawls l3 and 20 are released from theratchet wheel |2 when the links M and 2| reach their upper positions.The shunting switch i is reclosed and latch pawl 36 is withdraw-n duringthis clockwise rotation of the ratchet wheel I2 by pawl 20, but the mainbreaker contacts do not reclose upon the release of the latch 36 as theplunger is held in fully raised position by the latched lever 5|. Theratchet wheel I2 is rotated counterclockwise into reset position by thetiming mechanism spring designated by the arrow as soon as the pawls l3and 20 are released from the ratchet wheel |2. After a 8 Fig. 5, is asingle-pole oil-insulated circuit breaker of relatively small size andlight weight that is well adapted for mounting on a pole of anelectrical distribution system. The enclosure for the breaker comprisesa porcelain tank or hollow insulator I, a cylindrical metal flange 59cemented to the upper end of the porcelain tank, and a dome or cover 60that is bolted to the flange 59. A metal sleeve 60' is secured to theinner edge of the flange 59 and extends downwardly into the oil topromote the transfer of heat from the oil to flange 59 and dome 60. Oneline-terminal 6| is carried by the dome 50, and the other line-'terminal 62 has a cylindrical mounting sleeve 63 that extends through acentral aperture in the lower wall of the tank I to receive the clampnut 64. The arm 5| is pivotally mounted on the dome 60, and all otherparts of the circuit breaker are a unitary assembly that is supported onthe flange 59, as will be explained hereinafter.

As shown in the enlarged fragmentary view, Fig. 6, the stationarycontacts 4 are carried by the several strips 55' of a longitudinallyslotted cylinder 65 that is threaded into threaded bushing 66 which isthreaded into the flanged sleeve 66 that is bolted to the lowerinsulating disk 51 of the arc interruption chamber assembly and engagesthe inner turnof the arc-gyrating coil the lower end of the cylinder 65and projects below the stationary contact assembly to seat within thecounterbore of the lower terminal 62. A set screw 1| is threaded into across-bore of the terminal 52 to establish a good electrical connection,and the cross-bore is sealed against leakage of oil by a washer and stud12.

The greater part of the control mechanism has been omitted from theskeleton" views, Figs. '7 to 10, for the clearer illustration of thesupporting structure and the several electrical elements and theirconnections. The control mechanism base 14 is a casting of non-magneticmaterial having a substantially central opening through which the upperend of the plunger extends, and an apertured disk 14 of insulatingmaterial, shown in Fig. 12, is secured to the base to guide the plunger.The base 14 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced and aperturedears 15 that rest upon and are bolted to supporting lugs 16 that projectinwardly from the metal collar or time interval for these resettingoperations, the

breaker may be reclosed by tripping the hook latch 52 to free the lever5|, thereby permitting a reclosing movement of the plunger by the,

spring 6. A preferred structural embodiment of the in vention, asillustrated in longitudinal section in flange 59. A pair of heavy plates11 of insulating material suspend the opening coil assembly below thebase 14, the plates being secured by screws to flanges on the lower faceof the base 14 and on the upper face of the magnetic material plate I. Asplit sleeve 18 of magnetic material surrounds the opening coil 0 andseats against the magnetic end plates 1, 8. A plurality of tie rods 19connect the plates of the opening coil assembly, and insulating materialtie rods and metal fittings 8|, 8| form extensions of the metal tie rods19 to support the arc-extinguishing chamber below the opening coilassembly. Insulating material-tubes 19' are slipped over the tie rods 19adjacent the shunting switch i to avoid flashover from the leadsconnected to the switch. An apertured spacing cylinder 82 of insulatingmaterial is arranged between the lower face of the plate 8 and the upperinsulating disk 88 or the arc-extinguishing chamber.

The arc-extinguishing system, shown in Figures and 6 including thearc-gyrating coil 68, is similar to that described in mycopendingapplication Ser. No. 439,576, filed April 18, 1942, butincludes a renewable horn fibre sleeve 84 that is recessed into theupper renewable annulus 85 and the upper disk 83 for increasedprotection and sealing of disks 83 and 83' as well as to provide aninexpensive renewable piece for restoring the bore diameter of the tubeto the most advantageous size, relative to follower ll, after the borehas been increased by erosion resulting from the interrupting action.Insulating material bolts 86 secure the upper arcing contact 81, whichis the terminus of the arc-gyrating coil 68, to the insulator diskassembly. The plunger l and movable contacts 2, 3 are guided for axialmovement by the spring pressure of the contacts 4 on the horn fibreextension II and by a sleeve 88 that is socured to the plate 8 andextends upwardly within. the coil 0 to guide the armature I.

In Figures 7-10, the electrical circuit from the upper line terminal 6|to thepilot coil P is through the domed cover 60, the metal flange 88,the control mechanism base ll, one of the flanges 88 that depend belowthe plate H to support the laminated core 89' of the control coil C, andthe strap a to which the upper end of coil P is soldered. Coil Pcomprises a few turns of rectangular conductor that, to facilitatewinding, is formed by a plurality of bars of rectangular cross-section.The lower end of the coil P is turned downwardly and then laterally toconstitute the lead f that extends to the outer terminal of the controlcoil C. The flexible jumper connection b is bolted to terminal 88 of themovable contact of contact 0, and bolted to lead I at the point wherelead [turns laterally.

The lead d from the stationary member of the pilot contacts 0 and thelead R: from one contact of the shunting switch i are flat straps, seeFigs. 7 and 8, bolted together and connected, through a jumper strap :1,to the junction of the upper terminal 0' of the opening coil 0 and strape. Strap e extends upwardly to the heavy rod conductor e" that issupported on and insulated from the control mechanism base 14. Thecentral part of a flexible cable or jumper e is swaged and soldered in ablock on the plunger I, and both ends of the cable are secured to theupper end of the rod conductor e". A plurality of rings 1 of insulatingmaterial are slipped over the cable e,

see Fig. 12, to insulate it from the dome and the adjacent parts of thecontrol mechanism that, being mounted on the control mechanism base 14,have the potential of the upper line terminal 6|. Lead g is a heavy wireor conductor that extends from the inner terminal of the control coil C.to the junction of the lower terminal 0 of the opening coil 0 and thestrap lead h from the normally closed shunting switch 1.

The control coil C is a spiral winding of a flat or ribbon conductor,and the opening coil 0 is of composite form with single pancake windingat the upper end of a multilayer helical winding. The opening coil 0 isdesigned for a pick-up value substantially less than the pick-up valueof the control coil C, and the control coil is designed for a pick-upvalue substantially less than that of the pilot coil P. Diflerentials ofabout 10% will preclude an incomplete operation of the breaker.

The entire breaker mechanism, except for the lower terminal 82 and themanually operated 10 handle BI and associated part, is supported on orby the control mechanism base 14 and is removable as a unitary assembly.All coils and their associated switch contacts are below the oil level,and heat is dissipated at a relatively rapid rate by the metal sleeve60' that dips into the oil and is secured to the metal flange 58. Acombined filler opening and vent 8| is formed in the domed cover 60, anda partition wall is cast within the cover to provide an oil arrestingchamber between the interior of the breaker and filler vent opening. Thearresting chamber is filled with aggregate for providing many surfacesfor oil adherence during the venting of an interrupting operation of thebreaker. The bottom of the chamber contains a plurality of holes forconnection to the inside of the breaker proper and through which thecollected oil returns to v the breaker. An open-bottom housing, inFigure 5, for the manual operating arm ii and for a counter mechanism 92is formed by a cast extension 93 of the domed cover, and side plate 83.The side plate may carry legends Closed" and Open, not shown, forcooperation with the ring end of the arm 5| to indicate the condition ofthe main breaker contacts.

The actual construction of the control mechanism is illustrated in theenlarged scale assembly and fragmentary views, Figs. 11 to 13. Thegeneral arrangement and the cooperation of the various elements will beapparent from the foregoing description of the schematic views, Figs. 1to 4, inclusive, and the following description will deal only with thoseauxiliary devices and details that were not shown in the schematicviews.

The inverted U-shaped core of the pilot coil P is mounted between outerplates 94 that are supported from one of the insulating plates 11 byscrews 95, and the coil P is held in place by a non-magnetic angle strip94 that is bolted to an outer plate 94, the strip being wrapped withtape or otherwise insulated, as indicated by the stippling, where itengages the coil P. A pair of levers 96 are pivotally supported on theplates 84 by a shaft 91 and carry the L-shaped armature and a pin 98that extends through the looped end of the arm 99 that carries themovable member of the pilot contacts 0. Arm 89 is pivoted on the plates94 and is held in contactclosed position by the spring Hill. The pilotcontacts are therefore snapped open by a sharp blow of the pin 98 on arm99 as the armature nears its fully attracted position. This looselycoupled arrangement prevents chattering of contacts o as the pick-upvalue of pilot coil P is neared. The stationary contact is mounted on anarm llll that is bolted, together with the lead d, to a plate or lug I82that is integral with or, as shown, welded to the upper plate 1 of theopening coil assembly. The potential of the structural parts of thepilot relay differs from that of the control mechanism base 14 by thevoltage drop across the pilot coil P, and the control mechanisms thatextend between the pilot coil assembly towards the base 14 thereforeinclude sections of insulating material.

A coil spring I03 extends from the upper ends of the contact operatinglevers 96 to a threaded stem I08 that extends through a lug on the base14 and may be adjusted axially by thumbnut I05 to determine the pull-invalue of the pilot coil P. The interlock bar or lever 41 is pivotallymounted on the base 14 and has an elongated slot in its lower end toreceive the pin that secures the spring I03 to the levers 96.

. movement is permitted by the clockwise The auxiliary orspeed-regulating armature 55 of the pivot coil is pivoted on the sideplates 34 and extends over an air gap between the auxiliary core 55' andthe main core of the pilot coil P. A shield plate I06 of insulatingmaterial is secured to the core 55 and extends downwardly between thepilot coil contacts and the control coil 0.

The laminated core 89, shown in Fig. 10, of the control coil is securedby rivets between the depending flanges 89 of the base 14, and the pivotpin I6 of armature I1 and links I5, 25 is mounted in the flanges. Thearmature I1 is mounted between two strips I1a, no that are symmetricallydisposed at opposite sides of the plunger I, and the resetting springsIlia, IBb are connected between the mounting strips and threaded stemsIOBa, I08b that extend through the base 14 to receive adjustingthumbnuts I09a, I09b. Spring 26 is connected between strip I1b and thelink 25, and spring I is connected between the strip Ma and the link I5.The upper end of the spring I5 is anchored on a saddle H0 that isslidable along the link I5 for adjustment of the pull exerted upon thelink I4 to drive the timing mechanism T. As shown in Fig. l3,"anadjusting screw III extends through the saddle H0 and is threaded into ablock H2 that is welded to the link I5. Upward movement of the link I5is limited by an adjustable stop screw H3 that is threaded through thebase 14, and downward movement is limited by an adjustable stop screw H4on a bracket arm H5 that is secured to and depends below the base 14.Another adjustment that is not shown in the schematic views is providedby the stop screw 4I' that is threaded into the projection M of with theinsulating material tip 39' of lever 39 that moves the latch pawl 36outof operative position.

The spring 34 of the toggle 33-34 is coiled about the fixed pivot pin ofthe member 34, and urges the member 34 counterclockwise, Fig. 12, tocarry the members 33, 34 somewhat beyond alined position, the overthrowbeing limited by an adjustable stop screw IIB that is threaded throughthe base 14 for engagement by the toggle pin. The spring 34 rocks thelatch 3| outwardly into operative position as rapidly as that rotationof the switch-operating lever 21, and the rotation of lever 21 iscontrolled by link 2I, pawl 20 and the timing device T until the pawl 20is released from the ratchet wheel I2. The remainder of theswitch-closing movement of lever 21 then takes place rapidly under theforce exerted by springs I811, I81), and the link 28 .is forceddownwardly to close the switch i. The upper 'pivot pin of the link 28has a limited range of movement in a slot in the depending leg of thelever 21, and a compression spring H1 within the depending leg bears onthe pivot pin urging it downwardly. This compression spring H1 providescontact pressure for control contacts i and maintains sufiicient contactpressure as the contact surfaces are worn away by the duty imposed uponthem. A further use of spring H1 is to provide a resilient link in thetoggle linkage, composed of depending leg of lever 21 and contactactuating links 28.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the insulating material operator 29 of theswitch i carries the selfaligning movable contact H8 that bridges thefixed contacts H9, I20 in the closed position of the switch. A strip I2Iof horn fibre is mounted lever 21 for engagement on and depends belowthe movable contact H8 to insure a double break and to prevent a directarcing between the fixed contacts upon the opening of the switch. Thatis, the circuit is opened and the'resulting arcs are drawn from thestationary contact arcing pads on H3 and I20 to the two cooperatingarcing pads on the moving contact H0. The angle of these contact pads issuch that the force exerted by compression spring H1 (Fig. 12) is equalto each of the resulting contact pressures at the contact makingsurfaces. That is, a spring force of 20 pounds exerted by spring H1results in 20 pounds contact pressure at each or the contact makingsurfaces of the moving contact H8 and stationary contacts H9 and I20.The contacts H9, I20 are mounted in a flat rectangular switch casing ofinsulating material comprising side plates I22 between which blocks I23are clamped to provide a pressure chamber of relatively small volumethat is open at the bottom. The contact I I9 is soldered to the lead kthat extends upward- Iy along the casing and is secured to one of theinsulating blocks.

The coil I24 01 a magnetic blowout system (not shown in the schematicviews) is connected between the switch contact I20 and the lead it fromthe inner terminal of the control coil C. Integral cylindrical sleeveI20 of the contact I20 projects beyond the sides of the casing and iselectrically connected by straps I25 to'the ends of a copper bushing I28within the tubular soft steel core I21 of the magnetic system. The polepieces I28 extend upwardly along the exterior of the casing to terminateadjacent the switch contacts, the pole pieces being beneath the strapsI25 and insulated from the outer edges of the turns of the coil I24 bysheets of insulation I29. The coil I24 comprises a few turns of a barecop per strip with an interleaved strip of insulation, and the end I24of the outer turn is bent upwardly for attachment to the edge of thecasing. A shield sheet I30 of insulating material is secured to'theupper inner face of the switch assembly and extends downwardly betweenthe switch assembly and the casing 18 of the opening coil. The switch issecured by screws I3I to a fiangeI32 that is integral with or welded tothe upper plate I of the opening coil assembly.

The timing mechanism T is mounted between a pair of plates I33, I34 thatare secured to flanges at the upper surface of the base 14. A shaft I35is pivotally supported by the plates I33, I34 with its ends projectingbeyond the plates. The ratchet wheel I2 is secured to the end of shaftI35 outside of the plate I34, see Figs. 5 and 12. The ratchet wheel I2is preferably notched around its entire periphery to simplifymanufacture and/or permit the use of standard ratchet wheels, and thesmooth surface for eliminating delay in the initial opening of thebreaker is provided by a segment I2 that is riveted to the wheel I2 toblock the pawl I3 from engagement with the adjacent teeth of the wheelI2.

A spiral spring I36 at the outer face of the plate I33 is anchored tothe other end of the shaft I35, and the outer end of the spring issecured to a stud I36 that is threaded into the plate I33. A reset stopplate I31 is mounted on the projecting end of the shaft I35 outside ofthe spring I36, the stop plate being pinned to the shaft by a hub I31and having a projecting lug that cooperates with a stop stud I38 onplate I33. The lockout wheel 42 is adjustably secured tothe reset stopplate I31 by screws I39 that pass through arcuate slots in the wheel 42.Lockout wheel 42 is adjusted to obtain the desired angularrelationbetween the normal or reset position Fig. 1 and the lockout positionFig. 3 to which it is progressivel advanced by the preselected number ofautomatic operations as described earher.

The escapement mechanism or the timing device is illustrated on anenlarged scale in Figs. 16 to 18. The escapement mechanism includeselements adjustable in accordance with the magnitude of the faultcurrent to control the speed of the escapement to efl'ect inversecurrent-time delayed openings of the breaker but these variable speedelements are not involved in the reclosing of the breaker. The reclosingtime is adjustable manually but it is not affected by the fault currentin the illustrated embodiment of the invention. The anchor pin forclosing timing pawl release roller 24, in Figure 12, is slidable intimer plate I54. By adjusting the anchor pin downwardly the timeinterval preceding automatic reclosing is shortened As shown in Fig. 11,the first gear I40 of the gear train that couples the ratchet wheel I2to the escapement mechanism is secured to the shaft I 35, and the finalgear, see Figs. 16 to 18, is a small pinion I on stub shaft I42, that,with a complementary stub shaft I42, supports an eccentrically mountedroller I43 in the slot of 2. Verge I44. The verge is supported forrocking movement by a pivot pin I45 on arm I45 of the speed regulatingarm 58 that is pivoted on shaft I41 and has a pin I45 seated in theslotted end of the link 51. The lower end of the verge extends below theshaft I 49 of a flywheel I50 and carries a pin II that is normallylocated within a slot I52 in the lower part of the flywheel. The vergeis flexibly coupled to the flywheel by a spring I53 that is coiled aboutthe shaft I49 with its upper end fixed to the flywheel by a strap I54and its lower endI53 extending freely through a hole in the shaft I5I'that is coaxial with the pin I5I. The arm I45 is normally retained inupper or slow speed position, see Fig. 16, by a spring I55 that isconnected between the arm I45 and a slotted strap I55 that is adiustablyanchored to the mounting plate I33. ,The range of displacement of theverge I44 by the link 51 and lever 55, I45 is such that the pin I5I maymove out of slot I52 and below flywheel I50, see Fig. 18, and theoscillating stroke of the flywheel I50 under this condition is limitedby the engagement of the flanged end of an arm I51, fixed to shaft I41,in the arcuate recess I55 in the upper part of the flywheel I50. Theswing of the flywheel must be controlled or limited in order that thepin I 5I may move into the slot I52 of the flywheel when the arm I45 andthe yoke I44 are moved upwardly by the spring I55 upon the opening ofthe breaker contacts and the resu1tant de-energization of the pilot coilP.

The oscillatory period of the escapement under the driving force exertedupon pinion MI by ratchet wheel I 2 and the gear train depends upon thelocation of the pin I5I with respect to the axis of the flywheel I50.The speed of oscillation of the flywheel is a minimum when the verge I44is in the elevated position shown in Fig. 16. A maximum oscillation isimparted to the verge I 44 as the lever arm between the eccentric rollerI43 and the pivot pin I45 of the verge has its minimum value. Thismaximum oscillation of the verge results in a maximum oscillation orthrow of\the flywheel I50 as the lever arm between the ,IS a minimum. AS

pin I5! and the axis of shaft I40 of the flywheel the verse is moveddownward by the link 51 and lever 55, I45, the lever arms become longerand the oscillations of the verge I44 and the flywheel I50 arecorrespondingly reduced, thereby increasing the speed of the shaft I42and of the ratchet wheel I2 that drives the shaft I42 through the vergeoscillation is shorter than that of the flywheel and the difference inthese periods is absorbed by the flexible connection of. the verge andflywheel through the spring I53. Fault currents in excess of somepreselected value result in the displacement of the pin I" and of theslot I52 of the flywheel I50. When this occurs. the oscillatory motionof the verge does not appreciably oscillate the flywheel I50 but ratherflexes the spring I53. This relatively stationary condition of theflywheel, and corresponding maximum speed of shaft I 42, are due to thefact that the driving force of the roller I43 is sufficient to flex thespring I53 irrespective of the flywheel and at such a rate that theoscillatory movement of the verge is not transmitted to the flywheel.The escapement thus overruns when pin III is moved out of the flywheelrecess and the same minimum delay is imposed for all excess currentsabove some selected value. For lower values at which the pin I 5|remains within the flywheel slot I52, the opening time varies inverselywith the magnitude of the fault current.

The rocking movement of the auxiliary armature 55 of the pilot coil P,and thereby the adjustment of the variable escapement, is opposed by amanually adjustable spring system that is illustrated in Figs. 11 and19. The tall or lever arm I50 of the armature 55 is of insulatingmaterial as the link 51 and the armature 55 are electrically connectedto opposite ends of the pilot coil P. The adjustable spring systemcomprises a threaded rod I 5i pivoted to the insulating arm I50 andslidable through a bracket I52 secured to the upper surface of thesupporting base 14, and a spring I53 between flanged spring seats orbushings I54 that are slidable on the rod and seated against the bracketI 62 and against a nonrotatable washer I55 that, in turn, is seated on anut I55. As shown in Fig. 19, the washer I55 has a flat surface inengagement with the bracket I52, and a plurality of perforations forreceiving a pin I51 on the nut I55. The nut I55 is normally lockedagainst rotation by the engagement of the pin I 61 in one of the holesof the nonrotatable washer I 55, but the nut I55 may be rotated manuallyto regulate the effective spring strength by pressing the washer I55upwardly to clear the pin I61. The rod IGI moves freely through abushing I58 that is threaded into the supporting base 14 to cooperatewith a second a secondary spring system which becomes operative whenauxiliary armature 55 nears its cooperative pole pieces of the main coreof coil P and auxiliary core 55'.

The time-delay mechanism can be readily adjusted to impart a definitetime-delay characterthe adjustable nut I55, value that prevents movementof the speed-regulating armature 55 or, alternatively, by setting thespeed-regulating armature 55 in the closed position with the escapementmechanism in the slow speed position. The nature 01' the powerdistribution circuit and the correlation of the the gear train. Theperiod of 15 breaker to other protective equipment will determine thetime-delay characteristic that is appropriate for the breaker. With thebreaker adjusted for a definite time-delay, the time required forlockout is independent of the magnitude of the fault current.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSerial No. 833,875, flied May 7, 1940, Apparatus for protecting powerlines, which issued as Patent No. 2,352,556 on June 27, 1944; whichpatent was re-issued under No. 22,872 on April 29, 1947.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed but it is to be understood that the invention is notrestricted to the illustrated embodiment and that various changes thatmay occur to those skilled in the art fall within the spirit of myinvention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A reclosing circuit breaker or theseriescurrent operated typecomprising a pair of terminals for connection in the line to beprotected, 9. pair of breaker contacts and an operating coil in a seriescircuit between said terminals, spring means normally retaining saidbreaker contacts in engagement, a magnetic system for said operatingcoil including an armature for opening said breaker contacts, a controlrelay having a coil and normally closed contacts shunting said operatingcoil, and a pilot relay having a ,coil and normally closed contactsshunting said control relay coil; the coils of said pilot relay and saidcontrol relay being in series in said series circuit between saidterminals, whereby the line current is normally by-passed around saidcontrol relay coil and said operating coil in combination withmechanical timing means including a variable speed escapement mechanismfor delaying the opening of said control relay contacts uponenergization of the control relay coil, and means including said pilotcoil and an associated armature for adjusting said variable speedescapement mechanism to impart an inverse time-current characteristic tothe circuit breaker.

2. A reclosing circuit breaker or the seriescurrent operated typeincluding a pair of terminals to be connected to the line to beprotected, a pair of breaker contacts and an operating coil in a seriescircuit between said terminals, spring means normally retaining saidbreaker contacts in engagement, a normally closed switch shunting saidoperating coil, current-responsive means for opening said normallyclosed shunting contacts in the event the current through the breakerexceeds a preselected value, said current-responsive means including acoil in said series circuit, mechanical timing mechanism including avariable speed escapement for delaying the opening of said shuntingcontacts, and a mechanism connected to said escapement and controlled bysaid current-responsive means for adjusting said variable speedescapement in accordance with the magnitude of an excess current throughthe breaker.

3. A reclosing circuit breaker as recited in claim 2, wherein saidmechanism connected to said escapement includes manually adjustablemeans for rendering the speed of said escapement independent of themagnitude of the excess current that energizes said current-responsivemeans.

4. A reclosing circuit breaker as recited in claim 2 wherein said timingmechanism is normally inoperative, whereby at least the first opening or1c the breaker contacts is effected with no delay upon the occurrence ofan excess current, in combination with means actuated preceding areclosure of said breaker contacts for rendering said timing mechanismoperative to delay a subsequent opening of the breaker contacts.

5. A reclosing circuit breaker as recited in claim 2 wherein said timingmechanism is normally inoperative, whereby at least the first opening ofthe breaker contacts is'eflected with no delay upon the occurrence of anexcess current, in combination with means for latching said breakercontacts in open position, and means controlled by said timing mechanismfor releasing said latching means; said timing mechanism including meansoperative to delay a subsequent opening of the breaker contacts; andmeans for restoring said timing mechanism to its normal inoperativecondition after a preselected interval in the event that the breakercurrent is not in excess of the preselected value upon a reclosure ofthe breaker contacts.

6. In a reclosing circuit breaker, a pair of normally closed contacts,means responsive to a predetermined current condition to open saidcontacts, spring means tending to reclose said contacts, and mechanicaltime-delay means including a single escapement mechanism having aratchet wheel and a pair of pawls engageable with the teeth of saidratchet wheel, a connection from one of said pawls to said meansoperable when said one of said pawls engages the teeth of said ratchetwheel to control the time of response of said means following theinitiation of said predetermined current initiation for delaying theopening of said contacts by said first-mentioned means and a connectionto the other of said pawls operable when said other of said pawlsengages the teeth of said ratchet wheel for controlling the reclosing ofsaid contacts by said spring means.

'7. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim 6,wherein said escapement mechanism includes means adjustable as toposition to control the speed thereof, and said firstmentioned meansincludes means for positioning said adjustable means of the escapementmechanism in accordance with the magnitude of the excess current toimpart an inverse time-current characteristic to the circuit breaker.

8. A reclosing circuit breaker including a pair of breaker contacts,spring means normally retaining said breaker contacts in engagement,current-responsive means including a series opening coil for openingsaid breaker contacts-against the force of said spring means in theevent of an abnormal current condition, timing means for determining theinterval between the initiation of the abnormal current condition andthe opening of said breaker contacts by said current-responsive means,latch means operable upon an opening of said breaker contacts to preventreclosure thereof by said spring means, and timedelay mechanism forrendering said. latch means inoperative; said timing means andtime-delay mechanism having in common a single escapement mechanism.

9. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim 8wherein said timing means is normally disconnected from said escapementmechanism, whereby at least the first opening of said breaker contactsis not delayed by said timing means, and said time delay mechanismincludes means operative to displace a coupling 17 to connect saidtiming 'escapement mechanism.

element into pmltion means to sai 10. In a reclosing circuit breaker,the invention as recited in claim 8 wherein said timing means and saidtime-delay mechanism each include means manually adjustable todeterminethe time-delay characteristic thereof independently of the time-delaycharacteristic of the other.

11. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim 8wherein said escapement mechanism includes means for adjusting the speedthereof, and said current-responsive means includes means for actuatingsaid adjusting means to impart an inverse time-current characteristic tothe circuit breaker.

12. In a reclosing circuit breaker, a pair of breaker contacts, a springnormally retaining said breaker contacts in engagement, a normallyde-energized opening coil for separating said breaker contacts againstthe force exerted by said spring, a switch controlling the energizationof said opening coil, a linkage for actuating said controlling switchbetween and positions corresponding respectively to normal de-energizedand to energized condition of said opening coil, a control coil and acooperating armature having a yielding coupling to said linkage, saidyielding coupling comprising a stop on said armature and a springbiasing an element of said linkage towards engagement with said stop,means normal ly latching said linkage against movement to actuate saidswitch out of its end position corresponding to the normal de-energizedcondition of the opening coil, and time-delay means for controlling themovement of said linkage by said armature; said time-delay meansincluding a ratchet wheel coupled to an escapement mechanism, a pawlcooperating with said ratchet wheel, a link carrying said pawl andpivoted to a second link spring-connected to said armature for movementtowards the stop thereof upon movement of said armature toward saidcontrol coil, and means movable by one of said links to release saidlatching means.

13. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim 12wherein said pawl is normally spaced from said ratchet wheel and movableinto engagement therewith upon movement of said links by said armature,and said ratchet wheel has a non-toothed portion for engagement by saidpawl upon movement of said links by the armature on its first movementby an abnormal current in said control coil.

14. In a. reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim12 wherein said pawl is normally spaced from said ratchet wheel andmovable into engagement therewith upon movement of said links by saidarmature, and said ratchet wheel has a non-toothed portion forengagement by said pawl upon movement of said links by the armature onits first movement by an abnormal current in said control coil, incombination with spring means for returning said ratchet wheel to normalposition.

-15. In a reclosing circuit breaker as recited in claim 12, incombination with latch means for retaming said breaker contacts in openposition when separated by said opening coil, and delay means forreleasing said latch means; said delay means including a link pivoted tosaid spring-connected link and carrying a pawl for rotating said ratchetwheel in the same direction as said first pawl.

16. In a reclosing circuit breaker as recited in claim 12, incombination with latch means for retaining said breaker contacts in openposition when separated by said opemng coil, delay means for releasingsaid latch means; said delay means including a link pivoted to saidspring-connected link and carrying a pawl for rotating said ratchetwheel in the sam direction as said first pawl, and lockout meansincluding a toothed wheel movable with said ratchet wheel and acooperating pawl member.

17. In a reclosing circuit breaker as recited in claim 12, incombination with latch means for retaining said breaker contacts in openposition when separated by said opening coil, delay means for releasingsaid latch means; said delay means including a link pivoted to saidspring-connected link and carrying a pawl for rotating said ratchetwheel in the same direction as said first pawl, lockout means includinga toothed wheel movable with said ratchet wheel member, means forreleasing said pawl member from said toothed wheel substantiallsimultaneously with a movement of said armature to move said linkage toactuate said controlling switch to energize said opening coil.

18. In a reclosing circuit breaker as recited in claim 12, incombination with latch means for retaining said breaker contacts in openposition when separated by said opening coil, delay means for releasingsaid latch means; said delay means including a link pivoted to saidspring-connected link and carrying a pawl for rotating said ratchetwheel in the same direction as said first pawl, lockout means includinga toothed wheel movable with said ratchet wheel, and a cooperating pawlmember, and manually controlled means to latch said contacts in openposition and simultaneously to release said pawl member from saidtoothed wheel of the lockout means, and spring means to reset saidratchet wheel to normal position upon such release of said pawl member.

19. In a reclosing circuit breaker, a pair of breaker contacts, a rodcarrying one contact and spring biased to retain said contacts inengagement, an opening coil in series with said contacts and having anarmature secured to said rod, a normally closed control switch connectedacross said opening coil, a control coil in series with said breakercontacts and cooperating armature movable thereby under predeterminedabnormal current conditions, and means yieldingly coupled to saidarmature for actuating said control switch; said last means comprisingstop means on said armature, a pair of independently movable links andspring means biasing the same towards said stop means, a linkageconnected between one of said links and said control switch to actuatethe same, means latching said linkage against movement to open saidcontrol switch, meansconnected to the other link for releasing saidlatching means, and a mechanical timing mechanism connected to saidother link for determining the time interval between a spring-biasing ofsaid other link by movement of said control coil armature and thedisplacement of said other link to actuate said releasing means.

20. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim19, in combination with a. latch for retaining said rod in contact-openposition, latch-releasing means operable by said linkage upon the returnthereof to close said control switch by said control coil armature, andmeans including said other link and said timing mechanism for delayingsaid return of the linkage by the control coil armature.

and a cooperating pawl 21. In a reclosing circuit breaker, a pair ofbreaker contacts, a rod carrying one contact and spring biased to retainsaid contacts in engagement, an opening coil in series with saidcontacts and having an armature secured to said rod, a normally closedsaid opening coil, a control coil in series with said breaker contactsand cooperatin armature movable thereby under predetermined abnormalcurrent conditions, and means yieldingly coupled to said armature foractuating said control switch; said last means comprising stop means onsaid armature, a pair of independently movable links and spring meansbiasing the same towards said stop means, a linkage connected becontrolswitch connected acros s/ tween one of said links and said controlswitch to actuate the same, means latching said linkage against movementto open said control switch, means connected to the other link forreleasing said latching means, mechanical timing mechanism including aratchet wheel coupled to an escapement device, an opening-timing linkconnected to said other link and carrying a pawl for cooperation withsaid ratchet wheel, means releasing said pawl from said ratchet wheelwhen said other link is in normal position, and a spring for resettingsaid ratchet wheel to a preselected normal position upon release of saidpawl therefrom.

22. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim 21wherein said ratchet wheel has an untoothed portion for engagement bysaid pawl upon the first movement of said control armature and links inresponse to abnormal current, whereby said timing mechanism does notdelay the first opening of said control switch by said controlcoilarmature and associated linkage.

23. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim21, n combination with a latch for retaining said rod incontact-separated position, latch-releasing means operable by saidlinkage upon movement thereof to reclose said control switch by thereturn movement of said control coil armature, a closing-time linkconnected [to said other link and carrying a pawl for rotating saidratchet wheel in the same direction as said first pawl, and meansreleasing said second pawl from the ratchet wheel when said other linkis restored to normal position.

24. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim21, in combination with a latch for retaining said rod incontact-separated position, latch-releasing means operable by saidlinkage upon movement thereof to reclose said control switch by thereturn movement of said control coil armature, a closing-time linkconnected to said other link and carrying a pawl for rotating saidratchet wheel in the same direction as said first pawl, means releasingsaid second pawl from the ratchet wheel when said other link is restoredto normal position, and means including a toothed wheel coupled to saidratchet wheel and a cooperating pawl member for locking said breakercontacts in separated condition in the event of a preselected number ofopening operations in a limited time interval.

25. In a reclosing circuit breaker, a pair of breaker contacts, a rodcarrying one contact and spring biased to retain the contacts inengagement, current-responsive means for moving said rod to open saidcontacts, timing mechanism including a single escapement mechanism fordelaying the opening and reclosing of the contacts, said mechanismincluding a ratchet wheel and pawls for rotating the same in the samedirection, a spring for resetting said ratchet wheel, lockout meansincluding a toothed wheel connected to said ratchet wheel and acooperating pawl memher for locking said wheels against rotation by saidreclosing-time pawl, and manually operable means for locking said rodagainst contact-reclosing movement and simultaneously releasing saidpawl member from said toothed wheel, thereby permitting resetting ofsaid timing mechanism to normal condition by said spring.

26. In a reclosing circuit breaker, a pair of breaker contacts, amovable rod carrying one of said contacts and spring-biased to retainsaid contacts in engagement, an armature secured to said rod, an openingcoil cooperating with said armature to move said rod to open saidcontacts, a normally closed control switch connected across said openingcoil, a linkage movable to open said control switch, current-responsivemeans including a control coil in series with said breaker contacts andan armature coupled to said linkage for opening said control switchunder predetermined current conditions, latch means for latching saidrod against reclosing movement when actuated by said opening coil andarmature to open said contacts, and means carried by said linkage torelease said latch means upon resetting of said linkage; said linkageincluding a spring-pressed telescoping connection to said controlswitch, whereby said control switch may be fully closed prior to therelease of said latch means by the release means of said linkage.

27. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim26, wherein said control coil armature is yieldingly coupled to saidlinkage; in combination with timing means for delaying the movement ofsaid linkage to open said control switch and for delaying the resettingof said linkage to reclose said control switch; said timing meansincluding an escapement device, a ratchet wheel coupled to saidescapement device by a gear train, resetting spring means tending toretain said ratchet wheel in a preselected normal position, anopening-time pawl and a closing-time pawl each normally spaced from saidratchet wheel, and links carrying said pawls and connected together forsimultaneous movement, a yielding connection between said pawl links andsaid control coil armature, said pawls being located and directed todrive said ratchet wheel in the same direction and in alternation assaid pawl links are moved from and returned to normal position by saidcontrol coil armature.

28. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim26, wherein said control coil armature is yieldingly coupled to saidlinkage; in combination with timing means for delaying the movement ofsaid linkage to open said control switch and for delaying the resettingof said linkage to reclose said control switch; said timing meansincluding an escapement device, a ratchet wheel coupled to saidescapement device by a gear train, resetting spring means tending toretain said ratchet wheel in a preselected normal position, anopening-time pawl and a closingtime pawl each normally spaced from saidratchet wheel, and links carrying said pawls and connected together forsimultaneous movement, a yielding connection between said pawl links andsaid control coil armature, said pawls being located and directed todrive said ratchet wheel in the same direction and in alternation assaid pawl links are moved from and returned to normal cooperatingopening-time and reclosing-time 7 position by said control coilarmature; and lock- 21 out means including a toothed wheel coupled tomeans including a mechanism, means controlled by said currentresponsivemeans for adjusting the speed of said spaced from said ratchet wheel,and links carrying said pawls and connected together for simultaneousmovement, a yielding connection between said pawl links and said controlcoil armature, said pawls being located and directed ratchet wheel inthe same direction and in alternation as said pawl links are moved fromand returned to normal position by said control coil armature.

30. In a circuit breaker, a pair of breaker con-- tacts spring-biasedtowards engagement, an opening coil and cooperating armature for openingsaid breaker contacts, a control coil and a pilot coil in series withsaid breaker contacts and said opening coil, a normally closed controlswitch shunted across said opening coil and operable to open position bysaid control coil, and a normally closed pilot switch shunted acrosssaid control coil and operable to open position by an armature of saidpilot coil; said pilot switch comprising a fixed contact, a movablecontact spring biased for engagement with said fixed contact, and alost-motion connection of said pilot coil armature to said movablecontact, whereby vibration of the pilot coll armature as the breakercurrent approaches breaker-opening value is not translated into achattering of the pilot switch contacts.

31. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the combination with a pair ofbreaker contacts, currentresponsive means including a pilot coil andopening coil in series with said breaker contacts for opening the samein the event of a preselected abnormal current, said pilot coil havingan armature controlling means for opening a normally closed controlswitch connected across said opening coil, and variable speed time-delaymeans for delaying the opening of said control switch, of meansincluding an auxiliary armature controlled by said pilot coil foradjusting said time-delay means; said time-delay means includin a shaftcarrying an eccentric roller, a verge cooperating with said roller, anangularly movable arm pivotally supporting said verge for rockingmovement, a radially slotted flywheel on a shaft parallel to said firstshaft, said verge having an end extending beyond its pivot and carryinga pin extending into said slot, spring means biasing said arm toposition said pin adjacent the inner end of said slot,motion-transmitting means connecting said auxiliary armature and saidarm for movement of the latter against the force exerted by said biasingspring means, a spring having one end secured to said flywheel and afree end extending freely through a shaft mounted on said pin, said freeend of the spring extending radially beyond the circumference ofsaidflywheel, wherethe flywheel slot.

32. In a reclosing circuit breaker, the invention as recited in claim31, wherein said means for adjusting said time-delay means includes anadjustable spring means biasing said auxiliary armature to open armatureposition, and said motion-transmitting means includes a one-waymechanical connection for transmitting closing motion of said auxiliaryarmature to said angularly movable arm of the time-delay means, saidone-way mechanical connection rendering said angularly movable armnon-responsive to said biasing spring means in the opening movement ofsaid auxiliary armature.

33. In a self-contained recloser having a fixed contact and a movablecontact operating mechanism, including a movable contact, and having anengaged position in which said contacts are engaged, and a disengagedposition in which said contacts are disengaged, biasing means operatingon said movable contact for biasing said movable contact into engagementwith said fixed contact, an electromagnet in series with said movableand fixed contacts of said contact mechanism and energizable by faultcurrents for instantaneously operating said movable contact against theaction of said biasing means to its disengaged position, said biasingmeans being operative following disengagement of said contacts foroperating said movable contact into engagement with said fixed contactfollowing circuit interruption, a time delay mechanism normallyineffective to control the time of operation of said movable contact anda force transmitting means to said time delay mechanism actuated by theforces derived from the fault current which efiected instantaneousopening of said contacts for operating said time delay mechanism beforere-engagement of said contacts for rendering said time delay operativeto delay said electromagnet operation of said contacts to disengagementin response to a fault current condition on re-engagement of saidcontacts.

34. In a self-contained recloser having a fixed contact and a movablecontact operating mechanism including a movable contact, and having anengaged position in which said contacts are engaged, and a disengagedposition in which said contacts are disengaged, biasing means operatingon said movable contact for biasing said movable contact into engagementwith said fixed contact, an electromagnet in series with said movableand fixed contacts of said contact mechanism and energizable by faultcurrent for instantaneously operating said movable contact against theaction of said biasing means to its disengaged position, said biasingmeans being operative following disengagement oi said contacts foroperating said movable contact into engagement with said fixed contactfollowing circuit interruption, a time delay mechanism normallyinefiective to control the time of operation of said movable contact anda control device for controlling the operation of said time delaymechanism, activated by the fault current which resulted in theinstantaneous disengagement of said contacts, for. rendering said timedelay mechanism operative before re-engagement of said contacts'forrendering said time delay operative to delay said electromagnetoperation of said contacts to disengagement in response'to a faultcurrent condition on re-engagement of said contacts and said biasoperation of said contacts to engagement.

35. In a self-contained recloser having a fixed contact and a movablecontact operating mechanism including a movable contact, and having anengaged position in which said contacts are engaged, and a disengagedposition in which said contacts are disengaged, biasing means operatingon said movable contact for biasing said movable contact into engagementwith said fixed contact, an electromagnet in series with said movableand fixed contacts of said contact mechanism and energizable by faultcurrents for instantaneously operating said movable contact against theaction of said biasing means to its disengaged position, said biasingmeans being operative following disengagement of said contacts foroperating said movable contact into engagement with said fixed contactfollowing circuit interruption; a time delay mechanism normallyineffective to control the time of operation of said movable contact andactivated by the fault current which resulted in the instantaneousdisengagement of said contacts during the period before a re-engagementof said contacts for rendering said time delay operative to delay, for apredetermined interval, said electromagnet operation of said contacts todisengagement in response to a fault current condition on re-engagementof said contacts and said bias operation of said contacts to engagement.

36. In a self-contained recloser having a fixed contact and a movablecontact, said movable contact having an engaged position in which itengages said fixed contact and a disengaged position in which itdisengages said fixed contact, a movable arm carrying said movablecontact, biasing means normally biasing said movable contact intoengagement with said fixed contact, an operating magnet in series withsaid movable and fixed contacts and energizable by fault currents forinstantaneously operating said movable contact against the action ofsaid biasing means to its disengaged position, a by-pass circuitextending around said operating magnet for normally rendering saidoperating magnet non-responsive to currents in the line being protectedby said recloser, a control magnet connected in series with saidoperating magnet and by-pass circuit and having an armature operable inresponse to the energization of said control magnet by fault currentsfor opening the said bypass circuit around said operating magnet torender said operating magnet responsive to fault currents, said biasingmeans being operative to effect re-engagement of said contacts, a timedelay mechanism, a latch for said by-pass circuit opening armature and alatch for said movable arm for holding said movable arm against theaction of said biasing means, means controlled by said time delaymechanism following the re-engagement of said contacts for operatingsaid latch on said by-pass circuit after an interval of time to permitsaid control magnet to operate its armature in response to a persistentfault current to open said by-pass circuit, said operating magnet beingthereupon energized to operate said contacts to disengaged position, andmeans controlled by said time delay mechanism for operating said latchfor said movable arm after an interval of time to permit re-engagementof said contact by said contact engaging biasing means.

3'1. In a self-contained recloser having a fixed contact and a movablecontact, said movable contact having an engaged position in which itengages said fixed contact and a disengaged position in which itdisengages said fixed contact, a movable arm carrying said movablecontact, biasing means normally biasing said movable contact intoengagement with said fixed contact, an operating magnet in series withsaid movable and fixed contacts and energizable by fault currents forinstantaneously operating said movable contact against the action ofsaid biasing means to its disengaged position, a by-pass circuitextending around said operating magnet for normally rendering saidoperating magnet non-responsive to currents in the line being protectedby said recloser, a control magnet connected in series with saidoperating magnet and by-pass circuit and having an armature operable inresponse to the energization of said control magnet by fault currentsfor opening the said by-pass circuit around said operating magnet torender said operating magnet responsive to fault currents, said biasingmeans being operative to effect re-engagement of said contacts, a timedelay mechanism and a connection from said control magnet armature tosaid time delay mechanism, said time delay mechanism through saidconnection controlling the operation of said control magnet armature tocontrol the time of operation of said control magnet armature to controlthe time of opening of said by-pass circuit after a reclosing operationwhereupon said operating magnet is effective to re-open said contacts inresponse to a fault current.

38. In a self-contained recloser having a fixed contact and a movablecontact, said movable contact having an engaged position in which itengages said fixed contact and a disengaged position in which itdisengages said fixed contact, a movable arm carrying said movablecontact, biasing means normally biasing said movable contact intoengagement with said fixed contact, an operating magnet in series withsaid movable and fixed contacts and energizable by fault currents forinstantaneously operating said movable contact against the action ofsaid biasing means to its disengaged position, a by-pass circuitextending around said operating magnet for normally rendering saidoperating magnet non-responsive to currents in the line being protectedby said recloser, a control magnet connected in series with saidoperating magnet and by-pass circuit and having an armature operable inresponse to the energization of said control magnet by fault currentsfor opening the said by-pass circuit around said operating magnet torender said operating magnet responsive to fault currents, said biasingmeans being operative to effect reengagement of said contacts, a timedelay mechanism normallyinefiective to control the time of operation ofsaid control magnet, means following disengagement of said contacts forrendering said time delay mechanism effective, a connection from saidarmature of said control ma net to said time delay mechanism, meansincluding said connection controlled by said time delay mechanismfollowing a re-engagement of said contacts for controlling the time ofoperation, in response to a fault current on re-engagement of saidcontacts, of said by-pass armature contacts to open position.

